It isn’t just a laser, nor it is just a sword. The Star Wars lightsabers are highly specialized weapons developed by the Jedi. Plus, they make really cool sounds when you move them around.
In the original Star Wars trilogy, we only saw three lightsaber colors: Blue, Green, and Red. However, in the ever-expanding Star Wars universe, more and more colors have appeared (both in canon and non-canon media). A color is never just a color. Let’s explore what ligthsaber color differences mean for the force user who wields them.
How It’s Made: Lightsaber Edition
Lightsabers are unique to their users. As a rite of passage, young padawans must go through a test to build their own weapons that will be with them for their paths forward. (Unless you are Luke Skywalker who didn’t even finish Jedi school and just made his.) Jedi younglings must find their own kyber crystal by going through a series of tests. After their trials, a crystal specially tuned to their energy calls to them. That crystal becomes the energy beam of the lightsaber, and the color that accompanies it.
Once assembled into the hilt of the lightsaber, the kyber crystal reacts to the builder and turns a specific color that vibes with that user’s Force energy. Currently, there is no canon explanation for what the colors mean (much of the color lore came from the expanded Star Wars Universe and is no longer in the official canon). But we can look at the most prominent colors and their users.
Blue
The blue lightsaber is the first one shown in any Star Wars film. Many prominent Jedi have a blue blade, including Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker (who originally used his father’s ligthsaber), Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ezra Bridger.
Green
The first green lightsaber does not appear until Return of the Jedi. Luke lost his blue lightsaber (along with his hand) at the end of The Empire Strikes Back. In constructing his own blade, Luke’s new color energy changed from blue to green. Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Ashoka Tano all used green lightsabers.
Red
Red lightsabers are used by the evil Sith lords. A kyber crystal turns red when corrupted by the dark side. They “bleed” it by pushing their pain and anger into the crystal. The crystal either comes from their own lightsaber from when they walked the path of the Jedi, or they steal it after killing a Jedi. Kylo Ren’s weird blade style comes from a cracked and unstable crystal.
Purple
Mace Windu uses an uncommon purple lightsaber. Why? Because Samuel L. Jackson, that’s why. The actor picked his own lightsaber color, but I can see a kyber crystal making an entirely new color just for him.
Yellow/Gold
Before Rey showed off her new lightsaber color at the end of The Rise of Skywalker, only Jedi Temple guards had yellow lightsabers.
White
Ashoka famously uses twin white lightsabers. The white kyber color is linked to the red, corrupted crystals. When healing a crystal, the bleeding reverses and turns the blade white.
Black
Only one black lightsaber, or the “Darksaber,” exists. It is an ancient lightsaber that designated leadership among Mandalorians. Black energy fuels the blade, making it stand out with a glowing white edge.
Which color lightsaber would you like to have?
(feature image: Disney/Lucasfilm)
